War Veteran's widow forced to fight over pension and broken promise

War Vet's widow fights the V-A
Thursday, May 07, 2009 12:55 AM
By Jim HofferLONG ISLAND (WABC) -- It is a story of a promise broken.
Our nation has a pact with its war veterans to help those who are injured in battle.
But in the case of a widow of one disabled vet that pledge is being dishonored by the very agency whose job it is to uphold.
When a disabled veteran dies, the surviving spouse is eligible for his pension.

For several years, the widow of an injured Long Island World War Two vet depended on that pension to help pay for her medical care.
Now, Veterans Affairs has put a stop to the pension, but that's not where the story ends.
Army Sgt. Abraham Davidson served in some of the World War Two's bloodiest battles while stationed in the Philippines. For a shrapnel injury that left him partially disabled, he received a small pension until his death in 2001. His widow began receiving her husband's pension of $924 dollars a month which helped with her care.
"The expenses of caring for somebody who's so disabled are just astronomical. So this was a big help as far as off-setting those expenses," their son, Stanley Davidson, said.
Two years later, Veterans Affairs sent her son a letter saying they "have stopped pension benefits" to his mother. The V-A claimed she had failed to send an "eligibility verification report". Her son showed us that report, which details how thousands in monthly medical costs far exceed her $2-thousand dollar monthly income.
It's not the way to treat any veteran, let alone someone who gave up his health and who's wife is dependant upon this."
He soon received another letter from the V-A. The agency wanted all the pension money back declaring the widow "delinquent" on her "overpayment of benefits" of more than "$24,000."
HOFFER: "They're saying she's no longer eligible and not only that we want the money back that she's gotten."
DAVIDSON: "Yes sir. They have been garnishing her social security. They have been holding tax refunds."
HOFFER: Wait a second. They have been garnishing her social security? Money for an 89-year-old woman?
DAVIDSON: "Yes. Yes."
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